ReaderMarija's Reviews

When watching an episode of Benny Hill, have you ever noticed that signature look of his—the cute innocent half grin paired with that wicked gleam in his eyes? Well, I had that same Benny Hill look plastered on my face throughout this “final” installment of Ms. Moning’s Fever series. I can’t help but find this series ridiculously amusing. For me, this book was a mass of giggles, all leading up to that absolutely priceless moment when Mac believes she has finally figured out who and what she is. After reading that one wonderful sentence, I almost died, my giggles morphing into cackles to the point where I couldn’t catch my breath and wound up choking. That’s the absolute truth. I remember thinking, “Oh, wait until Barrons hears about this!” But when we finally get to that part of the book, while I fully admit his reaction is good, I was hoping for more.

To describe my overall thoughts about this story, I’m going to borrow from what my grandmother said about yesterday’s episode of General Hospital: “What is this? Everybody’s going berserk. It’s really ridiculous.” Even though the book is huge, the story is really silly—the answers that are given only happen within those final pages. Even though I knew from the start Mac’s true identity, the big reveal only happens at the end, with just enough open ends to allow for additional books to this series. If you’re looking for all of the answers to your questions, unfortunately you won’t be getting them in this installment.

I’m so happy I was right about Barrons’ little secret and why he wanted that book! However, I pictured a different scenario from the one that is given. I imagined a kind of abomination, seeking revenge for being created and left behind in the form of the DEG. I think this would have made for a more dramatic denouement than the one that is given. The finale we do get is almost farcical in its construction—the bickering and arguing—characters entering in and out—the freeze framing and scenes within scenes. It was too busy. Because of this, I felt that this essential moment lost some of its significance—like when when a canvas turns brown from being layered with too many colors.

While I do think that Shadowfever is the most entertaining book of the series, it still has its faults, and I was hoping for more of a conclusion than the one that is given.